Too tall, gangly and backward to be raced at 2, Hurry On developed into a magnificent racing machine at 3 and was never defeated or even really tested. He was equally successful as a stallion, earning titles as champion sire and champion broodmare sire in England. While none of his sons achieved great reputations as sires in North America, his paternal grandson Trace Call was a useful sire and broodmare sire in the United States. More importantly, Hurry On's son Hunter's Moon was a great success in South America, wielding influence on bloodlines in Argentina, Brazil, Peru and Uruguay. Hurry On also wielded some influence in the Americas through his maternal grandson Court Martial, who had some successes in the United States after his importation and who sired the successful Argentine-based sire Jerry Honor.
Race record
6 starts, 6 wins, 0 seconds, 0 thirds, £3,248
1916:
Honors
English champion 3-year-old male (1916)
As an individual
A 17-hand chestnut, Hurry On, possessed a brilliant turn of foot and boundless stamina. Photographs suggest that he had an excellent shoulder, deep girth and powerful hindquarters but was slightly sickle hocked and had short, upright pasterns. He was a notably bad-tempered horse, particularly as a stallion, and was a hard puller on the race course.
As a stallion
Hurry On was the English/Irish champion sire of 1926 and was runner-up in 1922 and 1927; he was among the top 10 English/Irish general sires on six other occasions. He led the English/Irish broodmare sire list in 1938, 1944 and 1945 and was among the top 10 English/Irish broodmare sires on another 10 occasions including runner-up finishes in 1936 and 1939. In addition, he was third on the French broodmare sire list in 1947. He was a great influence for stamina and typically passed size and substance to his progeny. Most were free-running horses that resented restraint, and many shared their sire's temperament. Hurry On is a Professional chef-de-race in the Roman dosage system.
Notable progeny
Call Boy (GB), Captain Cuttle (GB), Coronach (GB), Cresta Run (GB), Hunter's Moon (GB), Hunting Song (GB), Pennycomequick (GB), Plack (GB), Precipitation (GB), Press Gang (GB), Toboggan (GB), Town Guard (GB)
Connections
Hurry On was bred by William Murland. He was owned by James Buchanan (later the first Baron Woolavington), who purchased the colt for 500 guineas from the Tattersalls First July yearling sale. He was trained by Fred Darling. Hurry On remained in Lord Woolavington's ownership until August 1935, when Lord Woolavington died and left his bloodstock to his daughter Catherine. Hurry On died the following year.
Pedigree notes
Hurry On is outcrossed through five generations but is the produce of two inbred parents as his sire Marcovil is 3x3 to seven-time English champion sire Hermit and his dam Tout Suite is 4x4x4 to seven-time English champion sire Stockwell. Hurry On apparently inherited his size and substance from his sire Marcovil, who won the 1909 Cambridgeshire Stakes but was troubled by a chronic tendon injury throughout his racing career, and from his maternal grandsire, the 1890 Derby Stakes winner Sainfoin. His dam Tout Suite, a very small mare, never raced and produced nothing else of significance.
Tout Suite was produced from Star (by 1878 Grand Prix de Paris winner Thurio), a decent staying filly who was consistently placed over her head but managed to win a minor stakes race at 2 and a valuable 2-mile plate race worth £1,000 as a 4-year-old, albeit with a large weight concession. Produced from the Thunderbolt mare Meteor, Star is a half sister to 1886 Coronation Stakes winner Argo Navis (by New Holland) and to Mask (by Carnival), winner of the 1879 July Stakes and 1880 Ascot Derby. She is also a half sister to stakes-placed Radiancy (by Tibthorpe), whose son Sheen won important races at 3, 4 and 5, and to Light of Other Days (by Balfe), dam of 1895 July Cup winner Woolsthorpe (by Tibthorpe) and third dam of 1915 Dewhurst Stakes winner Atheling II.
Books and media
Hurry On is one of 205 stallions whose accomplishments at stud are profiled in Great Thoroughbred Sires of the World (2006, The Australian Bloodhorse Review), a massive reference work written by Jennifer Churchill, Andrew Reichard and Byron Rogers.
Fun facts
Race record
6 starts, 6 wins, 0 seconds, 0 thirds, £3,248
1916:
- Won September Stakes (ENG, 14FT, Newmarket; run as a wartime substitute for Doncaster's St. Leger Stakes)
- Won Newmarket St. Leger (ENG, 14FT, Newmarket)
- Won Jockey Club Cup (ENG, 18FT, Newmarket)
- Won Newbury Stakes (ENG, 10FT, Newmarket)
Honors
English champion 3-year-old male (1916)
As an individual
A 17-hand chestnut, Hurry On, possessed a brilliant turn of foot and boundless stamina. Photographs suggest that he had an excellent shoulder, deep girth and powerful hindquarters but was slightly sickle hocked and had short, upright pasterns. He was a notably bad-tempered horse, particularly as a stallion, and was a hard puller on the race course.
As a stallion
Hurry On was the English/Irish champion sire of 1926 and was runner-up in 1922 and 1927; he was among the top 10 English/Irish general sires on six other occasions. He led the English/Irish broodmare sire list in 1938, 1944 and 1945 and was among the top 10 English/Irish broodmare sires on another 10 occasions including runner-up finishes in 1936 and 1939. In addition, he was third on the French broodmare sire list in 1947. He was a great influence for stamina and typically passed size and substance to his progeny. Most were free-running horses that resented restraint, and many shared their sire's temperament. Hurry On is a Professional chef-de-race in the Roman dosage system.
Notable progeny
Call Boy (GB), Captain Cuttle (GB), Coronach (GB), Cresta Run (GB), Hunter's Moon (GB), Hunting Song (GB), Pennycomequick (GB), Plack (GB), Precipitation (GB), Press Gang (GB), Toboggan (GB), Town Guard (GB)
Connections
Hurry On was bred by William Murland. He was owned by James Buchanan (later the first Baron Woolavington), who purchased the colt for 500 guineas from the Tattersalls First July yearling sale. He was trained by Fred Darling. Hurry On remained in Lord Woolavington's ownership until August 1935, when Lord Woolavington died and left his bloodstock to his daughter Catherine. Hurry On died the following year.
Pedigree notes
Hurry On is outcrossed through five generations but is the produce of two inbred parents as his sire Marcovil is 3x3 to seven-time English champion sire Hermit and his dam Tout Suite is 4x4x4 to seven-time English champion sire Stockwell. Hurry On apparently inherited his size and substance from his sire Marcovil, who won the 1909 Cambridgeshire Stakes but was troubled by a chronic tendon injury throughout his racing career, and from his maternal grandsire, the 1890 Derby Stakes winner Sainfoin. His dam Tout Suite, a very small mare, never raced and produced nothing else of significance.
Tout Suite was produced from Star (by 1878 Grand Prix de Paris winner Thurio), a decent staying filly who was consistently placed over her head but managed to win a minor stakes race at 2 and a valuable 2-mile plate race worth £1,000 as a 4-year-old, albeit with a large weight concession. Produced from the Thunderbolt mare Meteor, Star is a half sister to 1886 Coronation Stakes winner Argo Navis (by New Holland) and to Mask (by Carnival), winner of the 1879 July Stakes and 1880 Ascot Derby. She is also a half sister to stakes-placed Radiancy (by Tibthorpe), whose son Sheen won important races at 3, 4 and 5, and to Light of Other Days (by Balfe), dam of 1895 July Cup winner Woolsthorpe (by Tibthorpe) and third dam of 1915 Dewhurst Stakes winner Atheling II.
Books and media
Hurry On is one of 205 stallions whose accomplishments at stud are profiled in Great Thoroughbred Sires of the World (2006, The Australian Bloodhorse Review), a massive reference work written by Jennifer Churchill, Andrew Reichard and Byron Rogers.
Fun facts
- Late in his training career (which featured seven victories in the Derby Stakes, among other great accomplishments), Fred Darling said of Hurry On, “He is the best horse I have ever trained, and the best I am ever likely to train.”
- Except for early in his first start, when he was slow to break, Hurry On was never anywhere but in front in any of his races.
- The very first foal that Hurry On sired was the 1922 Derby Stakes winner Captain Cuttle, who was foaled on January 11, 1919.
- Hurry On was the first horse from the Matchem sire line to have headed the English general sire list since Melbourne won the second of his two sire championships in 1857.